HIGHLIGHTS
- Discover
an all-new itinerary along the Scotia Arc, between the Atlantic and
Southern Oceans.
- Outings
and shore visits in Zodiac® inflatables.
- Lectures
and information sessions hosted by our naturalist-guides.
- Landscapes:
volcanic mountains on the South Sandwich Islands, table top icebergs in
the Weddell, glaciers, ice floes.
- Wildlife:
king penguins, Adelie penguins, fur seals, elephant seals, whales, sea
birds.
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
| Start Date | End Date | Prestige Stateroom Deck 6 | Prestige Stateroom Deck 7 | Prestige Stateroom Deck 8 | Privilege Stateroom Deck 6 | Privilege Stateroom Deck 7 | Privilege Stateroom Deck 8 | Prestige Suite Deck 7 | Prestige Suite Deck 8 | Privilege Suite Deck 6 | Privilege Suite Deck 8 | Suite Duplex | Owner's Suite |
|---|
Mandatory Transfer Package Details:Overnight
in Santiago + flight Santiago/Ushuaia + transfers
For
your serenity, PONANT has organised the following included programme
for you, which starts the day prior to embarkation.
The
day before embarkation – Santiago
Transfer
from airport to PONANT selected hotel.
In
order to organise your transfer, please inform your travel agent, 60
days before departure, your flight number as well as your arrival time
and day
Meet
and greet at the hotel by our local representative. Check-in from late
morning.
Lunch
on your own and time at leisure in the afternoon.
Dinner.
Overnight
at the hotel.
Embarkation
Day – Santiago/Ushuaia
A
light morning breakfast will be served before leaving for the airport
for your Santiago/Ushuaia flight.
Transfer
to the airport.
Flight
Santiago/Ushuaia selected by PONANT in economy class.
Seats
in business class may be available, please contact your travel agent.
Approximate
flight duration: 3 hours
Meet
and greet at Ushuaia airport (English-speaking assistance).
Transfer
to Le Commandant-Charcot.
Embarkation.
–
Cruise on board your ship –
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
| Start Date | End Date | (Starting from)
Prestige Stateroom Deck 6 | (Mid-range)
Prestige Suite Deck 7 | (High-end)
Owner's Suite |
|---|
Mandatory Transfer Package Details:Overnight
in Santiago + flight Santiago/Ushuaia + transfers
For
your serenity, PONANT has organised the following included programme
for you, which starts the day prior to embarkation.
The
day before embarkation – Santiago
Transfer
from airport to PONANT selected hotel.
In
order to organise your transfer, please inform your travel agent, 60
days before departure, your flight number as well as your arrival time
and day
Meet
and greet at the hotel by our local representative. Check-in from late
morning.
Lunch
on your own and time at leisure in the afternoon.
Dinner.
Overnight
at the hotel.
Embarkation
Day – Santiago/Ushuaia
A
light morning breakfast will be served before leaving for the airport
for your Santiago/Ushuaia flight.
Transfer
to the airport.
Flight
Santiago/Ushuaia selected by PONANT in economy class.
Seats
in business class may be available, please contact your travel agent.
Approximate
flight duration: 3 hours
Meet
and greet at Ushuaia airport (English-speaking assistance).
Transfer
to Le Commandant-Charcot.
Embarkation.
–
Cruise on board your ship –
ITINERARY
Day
1: Ushuaia, Argentina
Capital
of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the
gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed
“El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this
city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains
surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as
the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes
plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating
places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely
and the inaccessible…
Days
2-3: Crossing the Drake Passage
Use
your days spent in the Drake Passage to familiarise yourself with your
ship and deepen your knowledge of the Antarctic. The Expedition Leader
will first present the IAATO rules of conduct that must be observed
during landings in the region and will explain everything you need to
know about the Zodiac® outings. Lectures about the history and
wildlife of the Antarctic will be an opportunity for you to learn more
about this magical region, where every cruise is a unique experience.
From the ship’s bridge, you will experience exceptional
sailing moments before joining the naturalist-guides on your
ship’s exterior decks to look out for albatrosses, cape
petrels, and other seabirds flying over the Drake Passage.
Day
4: South Shetland Islands
On
the edge of the Antarctic Peninsula, 120 km (70 miles) from the White
Continent, the South Shetland Islands offer surreal and mysterious
scenery. On these volcanic islands of dark rock, the landscapes
alternate between long, jagged and snow-covered coast and large, gently
sloping bays. These lunar and wild lands are home to important
scientific research stations and a large number of animal species:
chinstrap penguins, crabeater seals or Weddell seals, Antarctic terns,
giant petrels and elephant seals have taken up residence here.
Day
5: North Antarctic Peninsula
Throughout
your time in the north of the Antarctic Peninsula, you will find
yourself in the heart of a spectacular decor in subtle shades of blue
and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife. You will sail through
the Antarctic Sound, named after Swedish explorer Otto
Nordenskjöld’s ship, which was trapped by the ice
during an important scientific expedition in 1902. The gateway to the
Weddell Sea, this sound is filled with gigantic tabular icebergs and
plates of sea ice drifting northward from the coastal areas of this
vast sea. It is home to Adelie penguins and a great many leopard seals.
Days
6-7: The Weddell Sea
Amid
the eerie stillness of the Weddell Sea, wend your way through a
labyrinth of dense ice floe and majestic table-top icebergs. Sweeping
ice platforms sculpt a landscape unlike any other, populated by fur
seals, penguins, wandering albatross and other remarkable seabirds. The
Weddell seal – king of this realm – will welcome
you to his territory with a haunting cry that pierces the surrounding
silence. You can recognise him by his dark grey coat and spotted belly.
Weddell seals have the impressive skill of being able to stay
underwater for more than an hour.
Day
8: Southern Thule, South Sandwich Islands
The
southernmost island in the Sandwich Islands is a volcano that rises to
an altitude of 700 metres. For a long time, this former military base
was the source of conflicts between the British and the Argentinians,
who finally took possession of the island in 1982 after the Falklands
War. While you are there, you may get the chance to observe impressive
elephant seals and Adelie or chinstrap penguins.
Cook
Island, South Sandwich Islands
Cook
Island, an uninhabited volcano buried under a thick white coat, seems
to float on the surface of the ocean. There is a striking contrast
between the imposing and peaceful mass of glistening ice and the brown
sheer cliffs that loom over its shores. Its highest peak, Mount Harmer,
rises to an altitude of 1,115 metres. This island, the largest in the
Southern Thule island group, was discovered by James Cook in 1775, the
first explorer to have crossed the Antarctic Circle in search of a new
continent. In 1819, the Russian explorer Fabian Gottlieb von
Bellingshausen christened it as a tribute to this illustrious explorer.
Day
9: Saunders Island, South Sandwich Islands
The
brown volcanic silhouette of Saunders Island, overlooked by Mount
Michael, which rises to an altitude of more than 900 metres, will then
come into view on the horizon. The island’s frozen and rugged
shores are considered very difficult to access. If you have the good
fortune of being able to land in this lunar landscape, you will be able
to meet chinstrap and Adelie penguins or attempt to observe the Cape
petrels nesting in crevices along the cliff faces. It is one of only
eight volcanoes in the world whose summit crater, with a diameter of
700 metres, contains a persistent lava lake. Its most recent eruption
was in 2005.
Day
10: Zavodovski Island, South Sandwich Islands
Lying
in the north of this archipelago, this majestic volcanic island is
often ice-free year round, unlike the islands further south. Different
species can be found on either side of this bio-geographic border:
Subantarctic species in the north and Antarctic species in the south.
Enveloped in the warmth of the volcanic fumeroles, one of the
world’s largest colonies of chinstrap penguins (over two
million individuals) thrives in this ideal environment. This volcanic
island was discovered in 1819 by the Russian explorer Fabian Gottlieb
von Bellingshausen, who named it in honour of his ship’s
captain.
Day
11: At sea aboard Le Commandant-Charcot
Spend
exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant-Charcot, the
world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first
PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of
the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render
inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant-Charcot is fitted with
oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of
experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for
discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles.
Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us
discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to
reveal to us.
Days
12-13: South Georgia
Aboard
your ship, discover South Georgia, a region formed by an underwater
mountain chain that extends from the Andes to the Antarctic Peninsula.
All the wildlife of the Far South can be found there: king and Gentoo
penguins, elephant seals, fur seals… You might get the
chance to discover the majestic glaciers of Gold Harbour and the vast
plains of Fortuna Bay. If you are fortunate enough to land at Salisbury
Plain, you can expect a wonderful spectacle: more than 300,000 king
penguins, which you will recognise by the bright orange mark on their
head and neck, have taken up residence there.
Days
14-17: At sea aboard Le Commandant-Charcot
Spend
exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant-Charcot, the
world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first
PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of
the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render
inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant-Charcot is fitted with
oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of
experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for
discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles.
Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us
discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to
reveal to us.
Day
18: Disembarkation at Montevideo
Perched
on the far southern tip of Uruguay, Montevideo is a white city, and one
of the loveliest capital cities of South America. Come and admire the
beautiful historical remains dating from Spanish rule; you’ll
find the most interesting within the Cuidad Vieja, formerly fortified,
its old town dates from the 18th century. The best preserved are the
cathedral and the former governmental palace of the Cabildo, both
listed historical monuments. In the crook of a vast blue bay, the city
is also blessed with beautiful beaches.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Transfer
from airport upon flight arrival.
- 1-night
accommodation in a 5* hotel the night before embarkation.
- Your
hotel will be confirmed few weeks before your cruise.
- Early
check-in available from late morning.
- Hospitality
desk at the hotel in Santiago.
- Flight
Santiago/Ushuaia selected by PONANT, in economy class.
- Seats
in business class may be available, please contact your travel agent.
- Meals
as mentioned in the programme and beverage package.
- Transfers
as mentioned in the programme.
Your programme does not
include:
- Tips
for the local guide.
- Personal
expenses.
- Other
meals and services not mentioned in the programme.
Please
note:
- The
local currency is the Chilean Peso. You will be able to make most of
your purchases in USD (in small denominations) or by credit card,
accepted in most hotels, shopping centres and boutiques. You will also
be able to retrieve Pesos from the ATM’s.
- Summer
season in Santiago: temperatures may be very hot, but often between 68
°F (20 °C) and 95 °F (35 °C).
- Summer
season in Ushuaia: temperatures vary between 41 °F (5
°C) and 65 °F (15 °C)
- We
recommend you wear warm clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
- If
case PONANT has not received your full flight details, services start
at the hotel in time for check-in.
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
ADVENTURE OPTIONS - Participative Science
- Hovercraft
- Helium Balloon
- Kayaking
- Snowmobiles
- Polar Diving
- Hiking
- Outings And Shore Visits In Zodiac Inflatables
